Gauchos Drop Two on Opening Day of Southern California Tournament

Oct 14, 2006

Oct. 14, 2006

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -
The eighth-ranked UC Santa Barbara men's water polo team dropped its first two contests on Saturday at the Southern California Tournament being hosted by USC in Los Angeles, Calif. this weekend. The Gauchos were upset by No. 11 UC Irvine, 8-7 in the first match of the morning before later falling to No. 1 USC in an afternoon match-up.

The Gauchos faced UC Irvine for the third time this season in the tournament-opening game. Each team matched goals throughout the first three quarters to head into the final frame with a tied score of 6-6. In the final quarter, the Anteaters outscored UCSB 2-1 to gain their first win over the Gauchos this season, 8-7. Colin Mello led UC Irvine with a hat trick in the win while Travis Watts posted a team-high two goals for UCSB.

In the second match of the day, UCSB faced No. 1 USC for the second time in a little over a week. The Gauchos hung with the Trojans for the first two quarters, heading into halftime with a tied score of 4-4. USC came out of the break strong as they posted four unanswered goals in the third frame. The Trojans outscored UCSB 3-1 in the final quarter to come away with the 11-5 win.

Zsombor Vincze led all Gauchos with a pair of goals against the Trojans. Rick Wright collected a total of 15 saves on the day, with nine coming against USC.

With the two losses, UCSB now holds a season record of 13-8. The Gauchos will continue tournament play on Sunday at Coliseum Pool with a game at 10 p.m.